Of Love and Circumstance
by Calger
Summary: A sequel to "Rainy Dawn", Kenshin and Kaoru met under the most unusual circumstances, and forged a bond stronger than either could imagine. So how did this come about? A greatly expanded retelling of episode 1 from Kenshin's POV. Complete.
1. Default Chapter

This is basically a continuation of my vignette "Rainy Dawn" and is a greatly expanded retelling of episode 1 from Kenshin's POV.  This fic was actually suggested by someone on the RKFF mailing list; they made the valid point that no one's covered the time between Kaoru fainting and Kenshin making breakfast at her dojo.  I sort of took it from there, and it just kept getting longer and longer…anyways, I really tried to make this more than a rehash of episode one and tried to stick to the holes in the timeline that neither the anime or manga cover. It's nice to be writing again, though I seem to only have time for shorter stuff -_-;; Oh well, enjoy! This whole story is completely written and has three parts, I'll be sending the other two parts along shortly. Please please review!  
  
Of Love and Circumstance  
  
Part 1  
  
By Calger459  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
I think Buddha gets great amusement from me, though why the gods would want to toy with my life I can't honestly fathom. Maybe it's closer to a comment my master made to me long ago, when he'd said that I was "a magnet for trouble." I'd innocently asked him what a "magnet" was. A disgusted "Stupid *and* ignorant!" was my only response to that one. Such was life with my master.  
  
Shishou…it's strange that I would think of you on a day such as this. Only a few hours after my arrival, I am standing in the gentle light of the early morning sun in Tokyo, a young woman in my arms.  This has only happened to me once before; the last time a girl fainted in my embrace, my life changed forever.  
  
This situation has already become hopelessly complicated.  I've now seen the man claiming to be Battousai, and I curse the pain he's caused this young girl, using her family's style to shed more innocent blood in *my* name.    
  
I look down at the girl's sleeping face, and I can see the lines of exhaustion around her eyes.  How long has she been chasing after that man- giant?  I could hardly believe my eyes when I rounded the corner to find her squaring off against the swordsman, who is more than twice the size of either of us, armed only with a bokken.  He was using a katana, and she'd somehow gotten herself backed against a wall, a serious cut on her arm.  "Reckless," I remember thinking, "no matter how skilled you may be in your budo, no wooden sword can last long against a real one."  
  
With the lightning speed that had once made me a legend, I swept her from under his blade before he could cleave her in half.  He had fled at the sound of the police, screaming all the while that he was the Hitokiri Battousai of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu school.  
  
You fool.  You probably haven't realized that you've attracted the attention of the real hitokiri, and he is *not* pleased.  
  
I crush my dark thoughts ruthlessly, ordering Battousai to be quiet.  Now is not the time for battle.  First, I have to figure out what to do with the girl.  
  
She is light and warm in my arms, and I find myself again staring at her face.  An instant later I realize how inappropriate this situation is.  I blush a little as I head back in the direction of the run-down dojo I'd passed earlier.  I presume she came from there, though I can't be sure.  If it's not her home, then maybe the residents can tell me where she does live.  
  
 The sign on the gate says "Kamiya Kasshin School".  This must be the right place.   I nudge the unlocked gate open with my shoulder, announcing myself loudly. There is no answer, and as I carry her through the grounds I become convinced that she lives here alone.  One of the larger rooms contains a neatly hung kimono and a folded futon in the corner; this must be her room.  Laying her down gently, I prepare the bed for her.   She is bleeding lightly from her arm; the least I can do is clean and bandage it for her.  Leaving her on the soft futon, I go in search of the kitchen.  It's a small affair, with a modest-sized stove.  I find the pantry to be decently stocked, with fresh ingredients for miso. At least breakfast is doable, I reflect ruefully as I boil water to cleanse her arm.  
  
Back in her room, steaming towels in hand, I find myself suddenly reluctant to pull down the sleeve of her gi.  Watching her sleep, I'm reminded forcefully of the first night Tomoe stayed in my room at the Ishinshishi's inn.  I had refused to touch her, even to clean the blood off her face and clothes.  I knew nothing about women and I was still in shock over the events of the evening, so I'd had Okami-san, the innkeeper, take care of everything.  Such a kind woman.  
  
This time though I have no Okami-san, and I'll be damned if I'll let this poor girl lie here bloodied.  I'm twenty-eight years old now for heaven's sake! I shouldn't be nervous about such things.  Steeling myself, I pull her sleeve down and breathe a sigh of relief when I see that her breasts are well bound.  I'd half expected her to be naked under there...my nose tingles at the very thought.  Forcing myself to concentrate on the task at hand, I quickly clean and dress the cut, which fortunately for her is quite shallow.  It could have been much worse, given the size of her opponent.  Was it skill, or just luck that let her avoid further injury?  
  
I straighten her gi and tuck her gently under the covers, taking care not to wake her.  Actually, I'm amazed she's stayed asleep this long.  She must be exhausted. I leave her and set about making breakfast.  The kitchen is actually quite a jumbled mess; she's left things lying out in the open everywhere.  I get the feeling that it's not because she's messy, but because she's had more important things to worry about.  From what I could see from the rest of the dojo, she has not been doing well.  In general, everything I saw was neat and orderly, but the house is covered in a fine layer of dust and one room is filled with a veritable mountain of laundry. I haven't seen another soul since I brought her here.  Does she really live alone?  I can't even imagine trying to maintain a house, a dojo and grounds all by myself.  No wonder this place seems so neglected; it has probably become so despite her best efforts.  Where in the world is her family? Very, very strange...  
  
Studying the kitchen, I decide it might be better to make the miso outside.  She may not take kindly to me being here, and I don't want to seem as if I'm taking advantage of her in any way.  Through long practice I prepare a fire and set a large pot of miso to boil.  While I wait I take another, more thorough tour of the grounds.  Near the house is the dojo building, a good-sized storage shed, a large well, a lovely little garden and pond...she has a nice home here.  I halfway entertain the thought of doing her laundry, as I have to earn my keep countless times in the last decade, but am interrupted by a soft knock at the gate.  
  
"Kaoru-neesan? Are you home?"  
  
Kaoru? Is that the girl's name? Well, I suppose I should answer the door. "She's asleep right now.  May I ask who this is?"  I open the gate and find myself staring down at a pair of young girls, perhaps five and seven, dressed in simple kimono.  They're quite adorable actually, and I find myself smiling warmly at them.  
  
The girls stare back, eyes wide with shock.  "Who are you?" the older one asks.  "We've never seen you before!"  
  
"Our sister lives alone!" the younger one adds, confusion on her face.  
  
 Oh dear...I have to think quickly.  "I...helped her this morning. She asked me to make breakfast for her.  I'm sure she'll be awake soon, would you like to join us?"  
  
This provokes the most interesting reaction from the girls.  They seem almost...delighted.  They exchange excited looks, and then the older one gives me an appraising stare.  "Are you a good cook, then?"  
  
A gruff, choked "baka deshi!" echoes in the mists of my brain, related to my first horrid attempts at making breakfast for my master.  I'd like to think I've improved a bit since then.  I can't stop a smile spreading across my face; this is the most pleasant morning I've had in a long, long time.  "So I've been told, yes."  
  
"No one's gotten sick from your food?"  
  
"Uh....no, I don't think so."  
  
"You mean they really don't die?" This comes from the younger one, who's looking happier by the minute.  I must be missing a very funny joke.  
  
"Are they supposed to?"  
  
The older one starts to giggle, followed by the younger.  Now I'm really confused.  "I'm glad you're making breakfast!  You'll have to make some for Grandpa too later!"  
  
"Grandpa"?  Their caretaker, I guess.  Is he Kaoru's grandfather as well? It strikes me as odd that she would live apart from her family, if indeed these girls are her sisters. I don't think they live with her, as I saw little evidence of young children around the dojo. I'm still a bit confused, but I imagine all will be explained later. I invite them inside again and this time they agree without hesitation.  
  
I've always been amazed at my ability to get along with children.  Even when I was still a hitokiri hiding in Otsu, the village children would always come to play at our house.  They feel at ease around me, which is something I don't understand.  After all that I've done, all the pain I've caused, how can I possibly be deserving of the trust of children? It just doesn't make sense.  
  
I invent a little game for them where they have to dance around the yard with a broom (learning to sweep as they do), and they tell me their names: Ayame and Suzame.  As they play I prepare the soup and some onigirii, and within a few moments they're excitedly helping me get ingredients from the kitchen.  They seem to know this place well; when I ask the older girl to get a spoon, she runs inside and is back less than a minute later, utensil in hand.  Handing me the spoon, she looks me over thoughtfully.  Her sister meanwhile has found a paper ball and is busy chasing it around the yard.  
  
"You haven't told us your name yet."  
  
"I am a rurouni de gozaru."  
  
"Rurouni?" she asks, with a puzzled look.  "What kind of a name is that?"  
  
I just smile and wink at her.  I adopted a sort of policy with regards to my true name a long time ago.   For my own protection and the safety of those around me, it's best that I remain anonymous.  "It is a little silly, isn't it? That's what I'm called though."  
  
She giggles. "Okay, Rurouni-nii!"  
  
I laugh at the way she's changed my "name". "Older brother Rurouni".  They're so trusting, so kind.   They set my troubled heart at ease, and it isn't long before the three of us are laughing easily together.  I hardly notice when the porch door slides open behind me, revealing the very startled face of the girl.  "What are you doing?"  
  
Is she angry with me?   I can't really blame her if she is; I've practically made myself at home without her permission. Nevertheless I smile disarmingly up at her, Rurouni mask firmly in place.  "Just making a little breakfast.  Would you like to join us? Your sisters are very cute; we've become good friends already."  Almost as if we'd rehearsed it, Ayame and Suzame run to my side, each hugging an arm.  
  
"Friend, friend!" They chant together, beaming up at their older sister.  
  
The look on her face is priceless as one of the sisters grabs the tray of onigirii and runs up to her with it.  "Would you like some onigirii?" I ask hopefully.  Please forgive me, I want to say. For saving you, bandaging your wound, cooking with your food, and for lying to your little sisters, because I am just a stranger and you don't know me at all and if you did you'd probably want me dead, or at least as far away from your family as you could comfortably send me without killing me...  
  
It takes all my will to keep my troubled thoughts from showing on my face.  I must smile for her, I must look innocent for her so that she will trust me, because I have to find out about this swordsman and stop him before it's too late.  She stares at me for a long moment and I force myself to meet her gaze.  She picks up a rice ball, which I decorated for the girls to look like a rabbit, and takes a cautious bite.  A look of shock crosses her face and for a moment I'm genuinely afraid that I messed something up and that it tastes bad, which is exactly what I ask her, my eyes wide and panicked.  
  
The strangest look crosses her face, an odd combination of emotions that I can't quite describe.  "Actually...it's that you cook better than me."  
  
I promptly keel over in relief.  
  
~*~  
  
On to part 2…  
  
Notes: Yeah I know, Ayame and Suzame are useless balls of fluff that weren't in the manga, but this fic was spawned from a Vignette challenge piece, which had to be placed in anime context, so I stuck with it. Besides, I think they function as rather nice foils for Kenshin, even if they weren't in the original version. So there ;) 


	2. Chapter 2

Of Love and Circumstance  
  
Part 2  
  
By Calger459  
  
~*~  
  
Kamiya Kaoru. That is her name, this courageous, spirited, reckless girl who captured my attention so unexpectedly this morning.  It is early afternoon now and we are standing together in her dojo, staring at the short row of student placards on the wall.  A part of me cringes at the anger in her voice as she describes "Battousai's" recent activities: slaying random people in her school's name, slandering her family and driving her students away.  I remember the words of Ari Shakkuu, the man who gave me my Sakabatou ten years ago:  "You can't just run away from all the lives you've taken after so long. If you live by the sword, you die by the sword. That should be the only way you can follow."  I didn't want to believe him then, but since then his words have proved true time and again. No matter where I go or how long I wander, my past is always there, waiting for an opportunity to cause more suffering.  It's my fault that this has happened to her.  If I had never lived such a dark, bloody life, and especially if I hadn't lived it so *prominently*, then there would be no Battousai legend for corrupt men to use to their own selfish ends.  
  
She finishes her story and looks over at me. I imagine she's waiting for my opinion, but I find that I can't answer her. I can only return her gaze with one of sadness. I think my expression surprise her a little; eyes wide, she opens her mouth to say something, but right then the dojo door slides open to reveal Genzai-sensei, grandfather of the two little girls. Whatever she had been about to say hangs silent and tense in the air. As for me, I turn away abruptly to hide my emotions, which are betraying me. Damn that swordsman! Somehow, he will pay for this…  
  
~*~  
  
I tidy up the shed before slipping quietly out, relocking it behind me. I am amused she thought I would stay put with just a block of wood laid across the door, but then she still doesn't know who and what I really am, which is how it will stay. I don't intend to return here; I've caused her enough trouble already. But still, her earlier words echo in my mind.  
  
"He's the Hitokiri Battousai, right? He's a bloodthirsty murderer! To protect my father's style, I will defeat him!"  
  
A murderer? Yes, many times over. Bloodthirsty? No…no, never that, not even in the darkest of Kyoto's nights.  
  
"What does a rurouni like you know? Don't speak as if you know!"  
  
Childish as her reaction had been, I really couldn't blame her. I had spoken of her father as if I somehow knew his intentions, his wishes. I'm usually not so bold, but they were words I felt she needed to hear. You're right Kaoru, I don't know much, but the truth is that this false Battousai must be stopped, and if anyone should risk his life, it should be me. I pray I'm not too late.  
  
~*~  
  
"Remove that hand from her." I haven't slept in almost two days, so I'm not surprised that I feel a bit ill. However, I cannot afford to let queasy tiredness affect me; when I saw the well-armed men gathered at her gate I knew that time had run out. Before arriving here I had tracked the false Battousai all night, his trail eventually leading me back to the dojo. As I had suspected, the swordsman must be a former student of the Kamiya School, seeking revenge for some past wrong. I enter now to find the man-giant standing at the far end of the dojo, holding Kaoru off the floor by the front of her gi.  
  
He sneers at the sound of my voice and turns to face me. "I remember you from yesterday."  
  
The morning sun is warm on my back and I feel strangely calm as I answer him. "Yes, and I should have defeated you then."  
  
Kaoru's voice rings out, shrill and full of worry. "No, you can't possibly beat him!"  
  
A part of me laughs at the irony. People always underestimate me because of my size and delicate appearance. That fact ceased to bother me long ago. In fact, more often than not, it serves as an advantage to me in battle. The tone in her voice though…she can't be worried for *me* can she? We don't even know each other…  
  
"How amusing. I suppose you're another fool talking about swords revitalizing people!"  
  
I suppose I did once…when I was young and naïve, a long, long time ago. "No." I walk slowly forward, my master's words coming clearly to my mind. "A sword is a weapon. Swordsmanship is learning how to kill. That is the truth. What Kaoru-dono says is play-talk that only those who have never stained their hands can say." My words are cruel…but I believe them with all my heart. "However…" I look up at the girl and see dismay on her face. What could she be thinking? "However, I prefer Kaoru-dono's play-talk to the truth. In the world to come, I hope her words become the truth." Dismay turns to a surprised, hopeful smile. Those words I also mean with all my soul. The bloodshed has gone on long enough.  
  
The man-giant—I believe his men called him Gohei?—grinds his teeth in anger. "Kill this fool!"  
  
Shishou was right about one thing; my sword and face really do attract the worst kind of trouble, so I've been no stranger to fighting in recent years, despite my efforts to live in peace. I hardly break a sweat defeating Gohei's men; in only moments they all are unconscious or cowering against the walls in fear. Now there is only Gohei…and the amazed, awe- struck stare of Kaoru.  
  
Ah, she was not expecting such a thing from me. Well, I'm about to upset her again. "The swordsmanship of Hitokiri Battousai is not Kamiya Kasshin Ryu nor whatever original style you use." My words are for Gohei, but it's Kaoru's gaze I meet. "He uses Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, a style sure to slay anyone without fail unless used with a sword like this one."  
  
Her face goes slack with shock. "You…y-you mean you're the real hitokiri?!" Emotions flash across her face like a flock of startled birds, almost too fast for me to follow. Surprise, awe, anger, and…fear? Yes, for an instant she is afraid. No doubt she's heard the same stories as Gohei, rumors and legends that in certain aspects have become so exaggerated with time she was easily convinced a man such as Gohei was the real Battousai. What must she think of me now? As I stare into her deep blue eyes I suddenly feel ashamed for keeping such a secret from her. I remember her words from yesterday when she invited me to stay the night at her dojo. Astonished at her trusting nature, I'd asked if she was sure; after all, she didn't even know who I was.  
  
"Well, you did save me, and I don't care about other people's pasts. I see no need to question you further."  
  
I had been so happy when she'd said that, released from a fear I hadn't been able to admit even to myself. What is it about this girl that makes her stand out in my mind; what gives her this power over my emotions? I don't get any further in my thoughts, because Gohei chooses that moment to set her firmly on the floor and approach me with sword raised. "Fine then, if I defeat you then I'm assured to be the strongest man!"  
  
I've always despised men like you, Gohei. Your kind are all rude arrogance and brute strength. You have no compassion, no honor, and no reason for me to grant you mercy. Fortunately for you, this is not the Bakumatsu, and I am no longer a hitokiri. "I guess I have no choice, then."  
  
"Die, Battousai!" He hardly gets the words out before I'm airborne, bearing down on him with a Ryu-Tsui-Sen. I know his right thumb is already paralyzed, an injury that has forced him to adopt a left-handed style. Even with his wrong hand though, he is deadly. I cannot afford to be merciful; destroying his life as a swordsman is the only way to end his threat. I alter my attack to strike his raised left hand, and I feel the bones shatter under my dull blade as I drive his hand to the floor along with the rest of his body, breaking the floorboards and sending up a cloud of dust and wood fragments.  
  
Sometimes, I'm still a little awed and frightened at the power of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, and I'm not nearly as strong as my master. Gohei lays face- down in a shallow crater in the floor, completely immobile. Behind him sits Kaoru, mouth hanging open in a silent "Wow." I spare her only a brief glance before turning to Gohei. He's groaning a little, so I know he hears me. In truth though, my words are for Kaoru. "I have no attachments or regrets to the name Battousai, but even so I can't give it away to someone like you. Of course, with those fingers you'll never be able to swing a sword again." I re-sheathe my sword with a louder-than-necessary *click* to emphasize the point, my gaze coming to rest on the only one of Gohei's goons still conscious. He freezes under my gaze with a whimper. What a coward. I'm not even *trying* to be intimidating now. "Go get the police. Now. Understand?"  
  
He takes off at a run, leaving Kaoru and I alone. I'm not sure what to say to her, except to apologize for hiding my identity. "I didn't want to tell you if it wasn't necessary," I add, trying not to sound defensive. After all, it's not as if she's some random woman; her recent problems stemmed from me directly, or rather my bloody name. Of anyone she had the most right to know; I shouldn't have kept it from her. She continues to stare at me, though her expression is no longer awed or frightened. It isn't angry either, though I would have expected it to be. Instead she is…thoughtful. I shift awkwardly under her silent gaze. "Um…well, take care." Could I possibly sound more idiotic? Unable to bear the tension any longer I turn to leave, feeling her eyes boring in to my back.  
  
"BAKA!"  
  
"Oro!!" I can't help it, the word just slips out. That's not quite the reaction I'd expected from her…I turn around to find her standing, struggling to find words for what she wants to say. Something seems to pass between us then, a strange feeling of…connection? How does she do these things to me?  
  
"Can't you help me a little? I told you I don't care about other people's pasts, and I can't rebuild my school by myself!"  
  
She's right; I hate to think so, but she really can't do this alone. The state of her dojo, the fact that her last three students were driven out so easily, showing minimal loyalty to her and her style…she's failing, slowly but surely. And yet…oh Kaoru you couldn't possibly want *my* help; you don't know what you're asking. "But your school's name…it would all be for naught if the real Battousai stayed here!" You say you don't care who I am, but how could you *not*? I think I would, in your place. I don't understand…  
  
"I didn't say I wanted Battousai to stay! I wanted the Rur—" a look of alarm passes over her face and she blushes suddenly, whirling around to face away from me. Oro? What on earth was that just now? "If…if you must leave, at least tell me your name. Your real name, not that of the hitokiri."  
  
This time, I'm glad to supply it. She's more than earned it. "Himura. Himura Kenshin."  
  
She whispers my name back to me, and there is a strange note to her voice that gives me pause. She's so hard to read, this brave young woman. She somewhat haughtily gives me permission to go, and I almost do…but something stops me. For reasons I don't quite understand, I don't want to walk out that dojo door. The neglect in her home, her loneliness, the fact that she now has no students and thus no income…  
  
Her deep blue eyes and bright, spirited voice, another part of me adds unexpectedly. No…no I can't possibly have thoughts like those about her. She…she's innocent, and I'm not. It couldn't be that I…ah, I can't understand myself! I grip the doorframe, ready to step out and leave.  
  
But she needs help…  
  
She's asked me to stay.  
  
She doesn't care who I am. She really doesn't; to her, I'm just Kenshin, the friendly Rurouni. Maybe, maybe it wouldn't be so bad to stay for awhile, at least until her dojo is up and running again…  
  
My heart makes the decision for me and almost without thought I slide the door shut with a sharp *snap*. I hear her sigh gently in disappointment. She thinks I've left; well, maybe I can make that lovely smile appear again. "I…I am a little tired of wandering, actually. So if you wouldn't mind, could I…?"  
  
The look of shy delight on her face as she turns around drives away any regrets or second thoughts I may have had, and I feel my long-neglected sense of purpose stir again. I walk forward to meet her, my heart warm for the first time since I can remember. It feels so good to be needed, and to finally choose a direction instead of just drifting with a Rurouni's random current. I will make sure there are no regrets this time, and that no more shadows from my past come to haunt her.  
  
I hope I have chosen right, Shishou.  
  
~*~  
  
On to part 3…  
  
Notes: If I haven't slammed you over the head enough with it in this chapter already, yes I'm a big K&K fan, and proud of it ^_^ This chapter out of necessity had to come mostly from the episode. I thought about leaving the Gohei fight out, but I decided that the fic really needed it for content and as a bridge to the next part, so hopefully I did it justice. 


	3. Chapter 3

Of Love and Circumstance  
  
Part 3  
  
By Calger459  
  
~*~  
  
Of course, soon after, I begin to wonder what I've really gotten myself into.  
  
It takes some doing to get rid of the police once they arrive. I don't think the chief honestly believes that I'm the one who vanquished Gohei; he keeps giving me odd glances as I explain what happened. I don't like the way he's looking at me, as if he were slowly realizing he's found something he's been looking for. I can't even say for sure how I know what he is thinking…it's just a feeling, a gut instinct that has almost always been right in the past. This can only mean trouble. I do my best to be convincing as the Rurouni without seeming completely incompetent. I've never been a very good actor, and I'm not sure I've really succeeded in banishing the captain's suspicions. Eventually though, he rounds up his men. Once they've finally gone (it is now nearly midday), taking the semi- conscious thugs with them, I am left alone with Kaoru.  
  
She insists on preparing lunch for me, I guess out of some sort of gratitude for rescuing her a second time, but I don't miss the disbelieving glances she keeps throwing my way. It's the same expression she was wearing as she watched my performance for the captain, a desperate attempt to balance seriousness with disarming smiles and the occasional "Oro!" Poor thing, I can't really blame her, after all in the space of ten minutes I transformed in her eyes from a harmless rurouni to a master swordsman…and a legendary hitokiri at that.  
  
Damn it all, why couldn't I have fought in obscurity like every other Bakumatsu soldier? Why is it that even children know my name as a scary story told to make them behave? I witnessed such a telling myself scarcely three weeks ago, at an inn in a small town outside Tokyo. "Seven, no *ten* feet tall!" the young mother had proclaimed, "Two thousand men and even children slain without mercy!" Indignation collided roughly with aching guilt in my heart as I listened to the frightened whimpers of her son. The things I did as a hitokiri were terrible, but I never killed one child. I had to leave the room at that point, disgusted with her and myself.  
  
Kaoru stirs her soup pot and tosses in a few more vegetables. I sniff the air and realize something's burning. "Um…Kaoru-dono? I think the rice…"  
  
"MOU!" I have to catch the thrown soup ladle (images of my sakabatou being tossed airborne in a similar manner flash nightmarishly through my mind) before it ends up in the dirt as she lunges for the now-smoking rice pot. "Oh, I knew there should have been more water! Water, I need some NOW!"  
  
"Oh, right!" I put the spoon down and sprint for the well, dashing back in time to douse the rice before it can burst into flame.  
  
Kaoru is flushing bright red in embarrassment as she stares into the smoldering rice pot. "G-gomen nasai. I thought I had it right this time…"  
  
Hmm…maybe Ayame and Suzame were on to something after all. "It's all right Kaoru-dono, I'm sure that happens to everyone occasionally." I can't recall ever burning my rice, but I smile encouragingly at her anyway.  
  
Looking away, she hastily ladles some soup into a bowl and hands it to me. Some kind of vegetable stew, I guess. Only then, in my typical fashion, do I realize just how hungry I am. When did I eat last, anyway? Oh right, breakfast yesterday. Tipping up the bowl, I gratefully take a sip.  
  
Oh *gods*.  
  
"Kenshin? Kenshin, are you okay?" Kaoru pounds my back frantically as I choke and sputter. Somewhere on a mountain in Kyoto, I'm sure my master is laughing his pointy cape off right now.  
  
Speaking of which, why in the world does he keep popping into my head anyway? These past two days I've thought more about the insufferable man than I have in the last two years! Ugh, I've never tasted anything so bitter! "I'm *cough* fine Kaoru *hack* dono, you can stop hitting me de gozaru!" I sit back and take a deep breath, trying to clear the burning sensation from my mouth.  
  
She looks at me dismally. "It was the onion powder wasn't it? Or maybe the vinegar? I think I put too much of *something* in it, but I thought it would turn out okay anyway…oh don't make that face, I tried didn't I?" She's gotten indignant again. Well I must admit, she did work very hard on the soup, it's just she has no talent whatsoever for cooking.  
  
Now I know why those sisters were so relieved when they thought I'd come to cook for Kaoru. It's my master's revenge for all those meals when I was a child, I just know it. I attempt a smile and grip my bowl a little harder. It's awful stuff but I'm still hungry, and something in her face and posture suggests that if I don't eat what she's prepared happily, I'm going to regret it. Well, my instincts have hardly ever been wrong before.  
  
We go through the rest of the horrid meal in silence. I resolve then and there to prepare dinner for us, and begin thinking of ways to tell her so without offending her. Deep in thought, I glance up to find her staring at me in something akin to fascination. Okay, this is getting awkward.  
  
"What?"  
  
She blinks in surprise and hurriedly ladles more soup, even though she's hardly touched her bowl. "Sorry, it's just…" she trails off, thinking.  
  
We sit that way for a few more minutes, the only sounds being the wind in the trees and the occasional bird. I sigh gently. "Please, whatever you're thinking, I won't be offended. Do you regret asking me to stay?"  
  
"NO!" I gasp a little at her reaction. "N-no, I'm glad you're here! It's just that…I really thought he was the hitokiri and all this time…it was you." She gazes at me wonderingly. "You're nothing like I imagined Battousai would be…that's all."  
  
I smile warmly at her, which seems to surprise her. "It's all right Karou- dono, you wouldn't be the first person to have said so. I'm used to it. I just wanted to make sure you were okay with all this, given the circumstances."  
  
She stares into her bowl, slowly pushing the vegetables around with her chopsticks. "Well…you do want to help me, right? I don't want to force you to stay if you don't want to. After all, I'm sure you have more important things to do."  
  
"Why would you think that?" It's actually quite amusing the way we keep second-guessing each other. "When I said I was just a wanderer, I meant it. No one else knows I'm here. Helping you is the least I can do, seeing as I'm partly to blame for all this."  
  
She looks up in surprise. "How so? You only just got here, and Gohei was acting on his own."  
  
"Using *my* reputation!" I counter forcefully.  
  
I mentally smack myself when I realize what I've done. She knows full well what my "reputation" is, and I just dragged it out into the open. "S- sumanu, Kaoru-dono, I—"  
  
"The Hitokiri Battousai," she interrupts softly, her voice only a murmur "was an Imperialist who fought to free the people from the Bakufu's rule. He was the strongest of all the hitokiri, and the peace we enjoy today is largely thanks to his efforts and sacrifices. The lives lost to his sword were not taken in vain, but were necessary to secure everyone's future. Although our style does not condone killing, sometimes it is a necessary evil when a greater future is at stake."  
  
"My father," she continues, slowly lifting her gaze to mine, "told me this the night before he left to fight in the Seinen Wars. I had heard…of you, and I was angry that he would leave me to become like the hitokiri I'd heard so many terrible things about."  
  
So her father went to the south to fight? But those wars ended six months ago and Kaoru is alone now so…he must be dead then. I feel a pang of sympathy for her, and her words, ringing with an unexpected wisdom, leave me powerless to respond.  
  
"Part of the reason I was so furious with Gohei was I thought he, or rather Battousai, had forgotten the ideals he'd fought for and destroyed the honor my father had spoken so highly of. To go killing innocent men and to blame it all on our school…I began to doubt my father's words and his reasons for leaving me alone with the dojo. But now…" she suddenly smiles at me, her blue eyes shimmering with tears, mesmerizing me with their emotion. "…now I know the truth, and my father was right after all. You are nothing like the stories I've heard, and everything like the man my father spoke of. How could I think less of you when I know who you really are? I'm so glad you came when you did."  
  
I'm lost in her eyes, in her kind words. I…NO! No, I cannot be what she says! I'm filthy, stained, and completely unworthy of her trust. Her father is dead and I'm *still* to blame, despite what she says! I tear my gaze away from her and stare furiously at the ground, trying to hide my warring emotions. "Y-you think too much of me," is all I can stammer. There is a heartbeat of silence.  
  
"Kenshin no baka!" Her soup bowl collides with my head and I allow myself to keel over with a drawn-out "Oroooo…" "I'm trying to compliment you, you moron! What on earth is wrong with you?"  
  
What an amazingly violent girl. Can't say I didn't deserve it though; I should know better than to carelessly mock her kindness to me. How absurd this scene would look to others: Battousai lying prone in a sunny dojo yard, his hair dripping with inedible soup, completely at the mercy of a young female kendoist. I start to laugh then, a low chuckle deep in my chest. I smile up at her in fond amusement. "Pardon me, Kaoru-dono, Sessha truly is a foolish man sometimes. Please let me apologize by making dinner for all of us. You should let Genzai-sensei know that I'm staying, after all."  
  
She raises an eyebrow at me and for a moment I'm worried she's seen through my ruse. I steel myself in the event the entire pot of soup decides to join the bowl on my head. "Hmm, I suppose so. You'll have to do the shopping for me while I clean though; the dojo's in no state for guests."  
  
I nod agreeably and accept her proffered hand. She pulls me to my feet easily, and again I'm surprised at the strength in her small frame. "I…suppose I should clean myself off before I go, ne?"  
  
She laughs then, a sound like the chiming of temple bells. Her merriment is infectious and we walk together to the bathhouse, at ease in each other's company. The irony is not lost on me. "I'll heat the water for you Kenshin, and I assure you that I will *not* peek in on *you*."  
  
"Oro!" Did she have to bring *that* up? "That was an accident, Sessha would never—"  
  
"I was kidding, baka. Yeesh, just take a bath already will you? You're a mess." She's grinning at me and I make my way hastily inside before I lose my composure right in front her. I can't remember the last time I so enjoyed another's company, or laughed so easily. It's a very odd sensation, and I'm not sure how to handle it.  
  
Thoughts of the upcoming ordeal of dinner are pushed to the back of my mind as I sink gratefully into the warm bath water. I sigh in contentment and close my eyes. Kamiya Kaoru…I began this little adventure with thoughts of my master, and how right he was about me, and the course my life has taken since I left him. Two days ago I would never have imagined that I would have found someone like you. Your kindness, spirit and forgiving nature are more than I deserve, but it is those same traits that I am determined now to protect. I'm sure your father would have been very proud of the life you've made for yourself, and it is my intention to help you in your goals and to uphold the honor your father saw in me.  
  
There is another reason, though; I must admit that to myself. When I'm with you I feel alive again, almost human, in a way I haven't felt since I was a young boy training in swordsmanship. I'm not sure how or why you cause these feelings in me, but because of them I find myself unwilling to leave your presence. My staying here is an unusually selfish action for me; I can only hope that I really have made the right choice. For certain though, unworthy or not I will see this new course through to the end, whatever that may be.  
  
Owari  
  
Have you ever taken the seed of an idea and just run with it? I had no idea a suggested sequel to "Rainy Dawn" would ever come out like this. Originally I wasn't going to do it at all (after all, it wasn't an idea I generated), but something about Kenshin's behavior during the whole first episode and Karou's amazingly calm reactions to him struck me as interesting, and a bit odd. I really wanted to make this fic something more than a rehash of episode 1, so I focused on holes in the timeline to further develop Kenshin's impressions of Kaoru (and vice versa) and to flesh out the many reasons why he would have chosen to stay with her at the dojo (um, besides the obvious -_-;;). I was going to end it with the Gohei fight scene, but then it occurred to me that there was an entire day afterward that must have been quite awkward for Kenshin (in the anime we see Kenshin sitting on the porch being tended by Gensai and the girls, I imagine that would be sometime after the end of this fic) and I was curious as to what Karou's motivations for wanting him to stay really were. Watching the episode it's plain that she thinks he's kinda cute, as well as very strong. It's also obvious that she's very lonely and were I her, I wouldn't want to be left alone in that dojo either, especially since Kenshin's such an obviously kind and capable man. But were there any other reasons? Why wasn't she more shocked or frightened when she learned who he was? Why does she so naively not care about the pasts of others, especially when the truth about Gohei and Kenshin are revealed? There seemed to be something missing there within the context of the episode, so I came up with a reason to fill it. I have no idea how realistic it is that Karou's father would say or believe such things, we know practically nothing about him from the manga or anime, but I tried. So what do you guys think? 


End file.
